I am appalled to read the pro-drone article (by Pir Zubair Shah) which is an insult to the great articles written by Fundy Kasuri, Samad Khurram and Meera Ghani on the topic of opposing drones.

It is an insult to the memory of courageous martrys like Osama Bin Laden, Baitullah Meshud, Illyas Kashmiri, Tahir Yashuldev, Abu Mustafa Yazeed. These brave, pacifist anti-imperialist Pakistanis were killed by drones and by attacks on our sovereignty. The prayers of Osama bin Laden were lead by our pious Islamo Marxists like JuD, SSP-ASWJ, LeJ – mashallah, these pacifist marxist rebels are all engaged to PTI and I am awaiting the marriage which I will lead since I am an Arab, a Hajjaji Syed.

I have pasted the article below which is written by another upstart Pathan (not unlike Farhat Taj) who think they know what is better for Pathans instead of following the wisdom of us PPPP – Pious Patriotic Punjabi Puttar.

These upstart Pathans have the temerity to challenge the view of great patriotic intellectuals like Hamid Mir, Samad Khurram, Meera Ghani, Ansar Abbasi, Ejaz Haider, Zaid Hamid on the drone issue.

I must say, the best article against drones has been written by Meera Ghani where she very cleverly refers to her position as “the grey area”. This is excellent and while I do not agree with condemning the drone victims (Taliban, Al Qaeda, SSP) and writing a token petition for the oppressors (Brelvi, Rafzi, Qadian, Baloch, Pathans, Currantas, Hindus), I think it is a brilliant tactic. It allows her to condemn drones – which will hopefully lead to the liberation of the oppressed Taliban and Al Qaeda whose lands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been occupied by anti-Taliban Tribes like Parachinaris.

These “liberal scum” as HIK (Hazrat Imran Khan) calls them are using outdated literature when they tried to falsify the work of our patriots. Another example of liberal bias is this article excerpt:

“Imran Khan claims he can end the decades-long menace of terrorism by bringing an end to drone attacks. To that, I respond: if the aim of your sit-in really is to end terrorism and not just garner political support, Mr Khan, then I suggest a shift in site… that’s all.” Hiding Behind the Drones, http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2011/05/hiding-behind-the-drones/

My Drone War
American drones have changed everything for al Qaeda and its local allies in Pakistan, becoming a fact of life in a secret war that is far from over.

BY PIR ZUBAIR SHAH

Eventually, the disclosures prompted a response: In March of last year, Pakistani Maj. Gen. Ghayur Mehmood, the commander in North Waziristan, appeared before reporters in Miram Shahand told them, “Myths and rumors about U.S. Predator strikes and the casualty figures are many, but it’s a reality that many of those being killed in these strikes are hard-core elements, a sizable number of them foreigners. Yes, there are a few civilian casualties in such precision strikes, but a majority of those eliminated are terrorists, including foreign terrorist elements.” It was an unusually candid public statement on the drone strikes from a high-ranking Pakistani official. Mehmood also provided something else that had until then been missing: official numbers. According to the government’s figures, he said, 164 drone strikes had taken place since 2007, killing 964 terrorists: 793 locals and 171 foreigners. The dead included Arabs, Chechens, Filipinos, Moroccans, Tajiks, and Uzbeks. The figures also confirmed the dramatic escalation of the drone war. In 2007, the government said, a single drone strike had killed a single militant. In 2010, the strikes had killed 423.

Some such admission was probably inevitable; the revelations in the WikiLeaks cables and Pakistan’s obvious inability to stop the attacks put the government in a position where it had to say something. Arguing that the drones were killing real terrorists was the best option available (though a military spokesman still tried to distance the Army from Mehmood’s statements, saying they reflected only the general’s opinion).

But it was also an acknowledgment of defeat: The secret war has become a lot less secret. At first, the tribal areas of Pakistan had seemed to present the perfect testing ground for a remote-controlled military strategy; it is a land set apart from its own country and mostly inaccessible to the international media and human rights groups, a place where violations of international law and civilian casualties go mostly uninvestigated. It is, in short, a black hole. But even as the Obama administration was increasingly embracing the drones as an alternative to the boots-on-the-ground military actions it inherited from its predecessor, its secret war was becoming as much a political liability as a precision weapon.

As the strikes have continued, they have given rise to a narrative that explains away the country’s worsening radicalization and extremist violence as a product of the drones — a narrative that has served as a bargaining chip for Pakistani leaders in their dealings with the United States as they once again raise the price of Pakistan’s cooperation in the war. (After a November 2011 incident in Mohmand district in which NATO forces mistakenly killed Pakistani soldiers, the first thing Pakistan demanded was the evacuation of the Shamsi air base in Baluchistan province, which had been used by the Americans for launching drones over the tribal areas; pictures of the emptied base immediately flashed across the Pakistani media.) In reality, the country’s worsening anti-Americanism is driven more by the portrayal of the drones in the Pakistani media, which paints them as a scourge targeting innocent civilians, than by the drones themselves. Few Pakistanis have actually visited the tribal areas or even know much about them. Until the United States and Pakistan come clean about the program, though, it is an image that will persist, worsening the frictions within Pakistan’s already divided society and between the United States and Pakistan.

That’s too bad, because in reality Pakistanis are deeply torn about the drones. For every anti-American rant they inspire-the recent meteoric rise of Imran Khan, the cricketer turned politician, owes a great deal to his strong opposition to the drone strikes — there is also a recognition that these strikes from the sky have their purpose. At times, they have outright benefited the Pakistani state, as in the summer of 2009, when a drone attack killed Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of a militant alliance in Waziristan who was suspected of masterminding former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s 2007 assassination — Pakistan’s Enemy No. 1, but a villain of less consequence to the United States.

Residents of the tribal areas are similarly conflicted. Many favor the drone strikes over the alternatives, such as military operations or less selective bombardments by Pakistani bombers and helicopter gunships. Better a few houses get vaporized than an entire village turned into refugees.Even the brother of the elder I brought to the Peshawar guesthouse said as much, allowing that “in our case, it might be faulty intelligence or mischief by someone” that had caused the strike that killed his brother. Regardless, he said, “I would always go for the drones.”

Either way, they are now a fact of life in a secret war that is far from over. Once I called a source — a Taliban commander in one of the tribal areas. His brother picked up the phone and told me that the commander was asleep. It was noon, and I remarked that it was an odd time for a nap. “There are drones in the sky,” the brother laughingly replied, “so he is not feeling well.”

Drone attacks were and are being conducted on request by our great Army! i dunno the loyalist of PTI are upset! They are caught in between the double discourse of pakistani establishment who requests Americans to increase drone attacks and tell its political and media mechaniry to oppose it inorder to put the blame on PPP and ANP , who are indifferent to all these at the most!
The point is that imperialist policy of droning Taliban in Pakistan where innocent Pashtun civilians also get killed and on the same time recognizing Taliban terrorists as legitimate stake holder in Afghanistan political process is the real grey area on which progressive intellectuals so far have not been able to programme a strategy

Do we consider Taliban as legitimate political stake holdrs in Afghanistan
Are we prepared the notion of existence of “moderate Taliban” and their potential government in Afghanistan with serious consequences to women, children and ordinaty Pashtun but more importantly on Tajik and Hazara and Uzbuk population and Shia communities against which they committed acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing?

Some of those very elements of this regime inststead of being tried in Heague were being faciliated by pakistani government and Qatar and USA for peace talks!

More annoying is the fact that there are rumors that certain personalities in progressive nationalist parties acted as intermediates between establishment and these taliban elements!ù
we have to think with a clear head on these matters and develop what is our stand? its imp to have a perspective on this!

Surat al-Fîl poses a dichotmy that no one has ever answered. Much before Prophet was even born, ‘Abraha’ wanted to destroy the ‘Kabah of Qurayash’ where 360 idols were worshipped by the Qurayash and pagan Arabs.

Yet, Abraha failed in his attempt to destroy the idols due to timely divine intervention; the Qur’ânic Surat al-Fîl highlights this as a Sign of help from Allah.

No one can ever explain why the army of Abraha with a ‘supposedly noble task’ of destroying the ‘house of idolatry’ decades before the birth of Prophet was hindered by Allah; Allah always demanded that Oneness of creator or Tawheed as the first pillar of faith but Qurayash and their idols were protected from Elephant led armies of Abraha.

May be Allah wanted only Prophet to destroy the idols of Kabba. Anyway this kindness of Allah on Qurayash left the Qurayash pagans continue the worship of al-lat, Mannat, al-Uzza and Allah last as a minor diety for next 100 years.

This continued praying of pagans confuses everyone; these idols needed to be destroyed asap, and Abraha a Christian was all bent to do it had it not been saving hand of ‘Allah’ and ababeel.

These allats, manaats, uzzas were only destroyed until such time when Prophet conquered Mecca after one year of Treaty of Hudibbiyah, another nearly 90 to 100 years of idolatry sanctioned by Allhas mercy on Qurayash.

Fast forward, Ababeel were agait requestioned by no one else but centuries later just before the US invasion of Afghanistan by Taliban’s FM Muttawakil.

He expected ‘ababeel’ to protect Taliban from obliteration from US forces, in an interview he asserted the birds will appear from heavens and destroy the planes and attackers like they did in times of Abraha.

He invoked this passage from Quran in a pre Afghan war interview…. (Surat al-Fîl) : ‘Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray? And He sent against them flights of Birds Striking them with stones of baked clay. Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw (of which the corn) has been eaten up.’[Qur’ân: 105]

IK and co fail to realize that these lunatics who are killed by these drones are planning a carnage that is overwhelming and aimed against the populace of Pakistan, their containment in their own cages have made them like hungry hyenas out to tear their own kinds.
Is this not enough of an eye opener? ‘According to the government’s figures, 164 drone strikes had taken place since 2007, killing 964 terrorists: 793 locals and 171 foreigners. The dead included Arabs, Chechens, Filipinos, Moroccans, Tajiks, and Uzbeks. The figures also confirmed the dramatic escalation of the drone war. In 2007, the government said, a single drone strike had killed a single militant. In 2010, the strikes had killed 423.’

Fly drone fly, fly high in the air
Like the ‘Old Turkey Buzzard ‘
Fly drone flaa-yin’, flyin’ hii–ghh
Old Turkey Buzzaarddd…
flaa-yin’, flyin’ hii–ghh
He’s just-a watin’
old buzzard’s just-a wa-atinnn’
Watin’ for someone down below to die
Old buzzard knows that he can wait
for every mother’s sons’s got a date
with him…

This is no moment of explaining the facts. This is a moment to think how we can exist. This is the moment to expose the truth, the whole truth.

I was doubtful on my perception on Imran Khan whether he could compromise anything and everything to become a Prime Minister or President of Pakistan. I was keenly watching his popularity that he gained. But, alas, I could not get impressed when he talked in talk shows and speeches he made in marathon gathering. Then I started believing what is being said against him. I do not have to go England, USA and Canada to gather information. All are reaching here big time through Internet and Satellite channels. In fact, this world has become a global village.

I watched on Youtube Imran Khan getting big chunk of “donations” from Pakistani businessmen in USA. I know even USA government is facing a serious economic crisis, even the big business tycoons there are money tight, what to say these Pakistani-American businessmen donating billions, does not fit in my curious mind. Until I linked it with Chaudhury Nisar’s loud statement that agencies are creating a new leader for kowtowing their lines. I am not an eyewitness but I have a little grey matter in my brains. FAQs meet this probability. The following wondering curiousities are also solved:

1. He would talk hours on drone attacks, but if someone like Prof. Perwaiz Hoodbhai says lets first talk about 40,000 innocent people killed by terrorist and suicide attacks, he declares Hoodbhai as a CIA agent.
2. Every politician has condemned Israel, Imran cannot, because he is still getting the financial support from his ex in-laws that are biggest Wealth Empire called Rothschild dynasty (the real authors of Israel).
3. I am interestingly watching the popularity after the retirement of Gen. Shuja Pasha – what I see, the graph is on a decline. So, Chaudhry Nisar was not so much wrong.
4. Media is nobody’s friend and nobody’s foe. They are commercial homo sapiens, always searching what would sell through this domain. All media men do not follow the agencies directives, some are not favored, even those that favor agencies and Talibans have to speak truth to save their worth in the media market. So, questions have been asked from them as to why he absorbed all turncoats and given key positions in the Party. Can he bring his so popular slogan of “CHANGE”? Where has his tsunamii gone? He does not have any answer to these questions.
3. His 90 days for complete eradication of corruption is not a buyable merchandise in the market. People are fool, but they are certainly not that fool.

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dont waste your time just imagine a mother whose young son going to school was killed in a drone attack,a sister whose brother was killed,a father whose son was killed,a son whose father was killed,a younger brother whose earning hand and fatherly elder brother was killed what options are left for these people to do.put ur self in this situation and then decide we r borne to fight and we will fight till the last tribal is killed to hell with zardari and anp we have been fighting when they were not there and our children will fight evil when we are not there.we kno to kill and die let us do our job time will decide who was right and who was wrong.

Ground realities and feedbacks from the natives suggest that Drones are till date the most effective tool against the militants on a ramp in Emirate Islami Waziristan, a quarantined space provided to the militants by our great general(Asma J rightly call them not duffers but dangerous duffers).

While Pak Air Force jets were showering the hills and mountains of Swat with bombs and the precision technique was lauded and commended on TV channels while feedbacks from the natives tell otherwise.

Its not a matter of ” be with or against the Americans” the prospects of the whole American or our own war, American or ours perspectives on so called Afghan End game etc. Fact of the matter is that Pakistan’s official as well as civil society stance on the Drone attacks, is another precedence of their naivety.

Kudos to the writer for exposing the distorted narratives and those parroting official lines

Just imagine, a land with no schools and homes with no residents who have flown to the IDPs camps, living in very miserable conditions, with no media hullabaloo, no anchors persons exclusive shows, NGO’s campaigns and the rest used as human shields in that land known as Emirate Islami Waziristan

LUBP

Let Us Build Pakistan

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